Hyderabad: Former head of Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Dhenkanal, in Odisha, Prof Vepa Rao, breathed his last while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Hyderabad on Wednesday. He was 76.
Rao was in charge of the institute, which offers diploma and postgraduate courses in journalism covering both print and electronic media, in 1996-97. He was also instrumental in laying a very strong academic foundation at IIMC-Dhenkanal in its early years, being a visiting faculty every session for a number of years.
Born in Andhra Pradesh in 1946, he began his career in Kolkata in the corporate sector. He was the Sunday Editor of the Hindustan Times, Delhi, and worked there for a long time till he shifted to academics in 1987. He also worked as Assistant Editor, The Tribune, for a short while and as Editorial Advisor, The Statesman.
Rao also headed the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), Shimla. He was decorated with an Honorary D Litt for lifetime achievement as an ideal professor by the varsity. He retired in 2006 but was brought back by the University under the UGC’s re-employment scheme to assist the department. He finally and formally retired from HPU in 2010.
However, he continued to travel to all major universities in India as a visiting faculty and also took part as a member of their selection committees.
He had earned a reputation as a great teacher and researcher in development communication. His book on the subject, ‘A Curve in the Hills’, is a highly-reputed reference publication. The Himachal government also conferred him with the ‘State Award’ for Development Reporting in 1997.
His students from IIMC-Dhenkanal and Shimla have mourned his death.
“Prof Vepa Rao will be remembered for long as an incomparable teacher and guide for students and colleagues. His death is a great loss to the journalism fraternity across the country,” said editor of the ‘Sakala’ and former director of IIMC-Dhenkanal Umakant Mishra.
His last rites will be conducted at Secunderabad around 11 am on Tuesday.
